AUBURN — Jane Pentheny of Poland and Shukri Abdirahman of Lewiston won write-in races this week to become the newest members of the Androscoggin County commission.
Pentheny, a Democrat who was a former member of the Androscoggin County Budget Committee and a former selectman in Poland, defeated Republican Katharyn Cormier of Auburn, 144-51, in District 6, which includes Poland, Mechanic Falls and a section of Auburn. Pentheny captured all three areas — 100-28 in Poland, 132-7 in Mechanic Falls and 31-16 in Auburn.
She replaces Terri Kelly of Mechanic Falls, who did not seek reelection.
District 1 in Lewiston featured a rare contest in the general election between two Democrats. Abdirahman, who stressed her youth and ethnicity as being missing from the commission, defeated former Lewiston School Board member Thomas Shannon, 146-39. Her largest margin of victory came in Ward 5, where she posted a 74-2 write-in advantage against Shannon.
She is replacing Edouard Plourde, who is retiring.
In District 4, incumbent Republican Garrett Mason of Lisbon was reelected with no opposition. District 4 includes Lisbon, Sabattus and Wales.
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